Samir Aburashed

Petra Mediterranean Pizza and Grill co-owner

NEW TIMES: Where is your restaurant? ABURASHED: My restaurant is on the corner of Toro and Higuera Streets.

NEW TIMES: What is the most popular dish on your menu?

ABURASHED: The most popular item on our menu is the gyro plate which is a beef and lamb mixture served with our famous pita bread, hummus, and cucumber yogurt salad.

NEW TIMES: What do you like most about your restaurant?ABURASHED: The thing I love most about Petra is that everything created in our restaurant has a family feel. For example, the angel hair pasta or veggie pasta are items my mom prepares fresh every day. The lamb my mom marinates overnight with an array of spices: garlic powder, sumac, paprika, and more.

NEW TIMES: When are you open?ABURASHED: Our hours of operation are from 10 a.m. to midnight every day of the week. We also deliver food, and alcohol as well, until midnight every day.

NEW TIMES: What is the most common age group of people who eat at your restaurant?ABURASHED: The majority of our customers are Cal Poly students due to our hours being so flexible. We also enjoy a decent amount of business and government employee clientele.

NEW TIMES: Whose idea was it to start Petra?

ABURASHED: It was my father's idea to open Petra one year ago.

NEW TIMES: Do you like owning a business with your family?ABURASHED: I love being a co-owner of Petra with my mother Sana and my father Todd Aburashed.NEW TIMES: What beers do you serve?ABURASHED: We serve Blue Moon, Firestone, PBR, Sam Adams Oktoberfest, Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA, and Eye of the Hawk are all on tap.